Juba, South Sudan,
June 08, 2021 – Two SSPF soldiers are gnashing “no life-threatening” injuries at a military hospital after exchanging gunfire at army headquarters in Bilpam, a military spokesman said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Lt. Gen. Peter Dor Maanjur, South Sudan People’s Defense Forces Inspector General, and his bodyguard 2ng Lt. Gatluak Riek shot at each other after an alleged misunderstanding.
Contrary to the earlier media reports that the bodyguard succumbed to the injuries, the SSPDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said the two were all still receiving treatment at the military hospital.
“Both men sustained no life-threatening gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment at Juba Military Hospital. Reason for the shootout is yet to be established,” he said.
A confidential who spoke to Nyamilepedia anonymously said the shooting on the Gen. Gatluak was unintended as the bodyguard “aimed at someone else”.
When asked who that person could be, the source equivocally insisted that the shooting was unintentional.
The source also revealed that tension flared among soldiers right after the shooting in what could have resulted in a full-blown tribal war.
“There was anger and soldiers were emotional. Multiple gunshots were fired at Bilpam. The situation could have been escalated to a national crisis,” the source said.
He added that the military leadership managed to restore the situation to normalcy warning that further tension could emanate as the conditions of those at the hospital unfolds.
“Right now things are calm, we hope it remains this way and we wish for the two soldiers to recover so that we don’t any escalation of tension among soldiers,” he said.
South Sudan is still reeling under the United Nations Security Council arms embargo renewed from May 31, 2020, to May 31, 2022.
During the passing of the resolution, the UNSC said there was no tangible evidence that peace parties were committed to ensuring control of firearms.
The government hit out at the decision saying it would jeopardize the implantation of the peace deal, especially the graduation of the trained National Unified Forces as the country ‘has no guns’.
